You should watch Steven Universe, and we should talk about it.

Ok check it. Cartoon Network has this show called Steven Universe. Basically, you need to be watching it. It's incredible. It's a story about a boy who has been raised by three super human beings known as the Crystal Gems, and they save Earth from all sorts of messed up stuff.

The show is incredibly charming, genuinely funny, and hits you in the emotional guts in all the right ways. Rebecca Sugar, the creator of Steven Universe, was one of the original writers on Adventure Time. So think AT, but without all the LOLRANDOM humor and with real character development. Also, really frigging incredibly music.

I'll vouch for Steven Universe, I don't like Regular Show I don't get the jokes and there's no coherent plot. Nothing in that show makes me ask questions about the characters, the story or my preconceptions regarding the story.

Steven Universe is an entirely different beast, the jokes are incredibly funny and I feel are always relevant to whatever is going on in scene. Despite much of the show till now seemingly being individual Slice of Life episodes there is a massive overarching plot, the as of yet relatively unexplained past of the Steven Universe world, as well as questions regarding what could happen next or where current reveals could potentially lead to.

The characters themselves are all unique and enjoyable and even in the first few episodes you can learn about their characterization, quirks, flaws, etc. and that in only 25 episodes there is a massive amount of development that I don't quite think I've experienced in a very long time. (The fact that the amount of development that exists can be a thing without becoming obvious or even overshadowing the current arc or the comedy I think is an accomplishment in and of itself.)

As for my preconceptions, writing too much could potentially spoil the show but I'd just like to say that episode 25 recently made me think that my ideas of the main characters may be completely wrong and the fact that an idea like that can be planted in my head in only 21 minutes is absolutely incredible.

Also waifu, my favourite character so far in the entire show (My current avatar) is only present for TWO EPISODES, no other show I can remember has made me fall in love with a character, (Personality, Design, etc.) let alone a side character that quickly.

You're gonna get mostly fun slice of life sort of stuff for awhile with some small bits of worldbuilding info here and there (this show LOVES foreshadowing if you pay close attention), but around the mid point of where we're at now, things will ramp up a little and you'll start to learn a lot. The show feels a lot different at that point, in my opinion, and becomes compelling for more than just the fun charm.

So far, 25 episodes have aired (at 11-ish minutes long). Originally, 25 was supposed to be the finale of S1. Cartoon Network decided to roll S1 and S2 together though, so when you hit ep 25, you'll notice it's 22 minutes long and has a pretty big build up. Fortunately, since the seasons rolled together, we're still getting new episodes every Thursday.

I hope you guys have all seen Space Race by now, it's one of my favorite episodes. I've watched it three times now, no regrets.

There is some FANTASTIC world/canon building in it. We now know that the crystal gems have more or less been marooned on Earth, either by accident or intentional. We also know that Pearl (and likely the other CG's) feel just as strongly about going back home as Lapis did, only they're all helpless to do anything about it since Lapis is the only one we've seen thus far with wings.

And once again, the cookie cat theme lyrics are more or less verified. Why do you miss space, Pearl? Is it because you left your family behind?

That sequence just before the bail out, and Pearl looks up into the starts one last time, is heart wrenching. I frigging love it.

So at this point, it's safe to assume that space and gem-controlled planets (whatever exactly that means) will play a much bigger role in the story, possibly the end game. Can't wait to see more.

So, I'm mostly caught up. I only haven't watched the most recent ep yet. A couple thoughts off the bat.

First: Cola has the right of it - Lapis is best Gem.

Second: Steven is probably the least interesting part of the show. I know he's our main dude, but his conflict is not very interesting, and his ignorance and awkwardness are more annoying than endearing, amounting to plot-blindness, rather than an actual character trait. I usually just want him to stop whining, and for the show to get on with the interesting bits, which are the developments of the setting. Episodes which only focus on developing Steven, and do nothing to advance the development of the setting, make me sad.

-Spoilers follow-

Third: Related to Lapis, the thing about the story and world that cuts at me currently, which keeps repeating itself over and over in my head, is the one line that Lapis said to Steven. "You're on of them!" she said, "The Crystal Gems!". This struck me. Lapis is not a Crystal Gem? So I went back and re-watched that episode, and some other key moments in other episodes when the lore of the Gems was being explored, and I noticed something: At first I thought that when the characters talked about Gems, it was just short for Crystal Gems, but the main characters only ever say Crystal Gems in full when referring to themselves, when talking about others, they seem to say only Gems. So, the four characters in the show are a subset of a greater population, but that leaves questions:

Are Garnet, Amethyst, Pearl, and Rose Quartz the only crystal gems, like that's the name of their specific team or club among the Gem population, or are the Gems and Crystal Gems two separate populations, like different species? In either case what is the relationship?

If Crystal Gems are a special team, are they like a spec-ops force, maybe a scouting team, or a group of superheroes (or villains) among the Gems? Why does Lapis act like being a Crystal Gem is a bad thing?

If the Crystal Gems are a different species, are they at war or in some other conflict with the Gems?

Then after a few more episodes, it was revealed that the creatures they fight are former Gems (I guess?). This opens up more, and somewhat darker possibilities. Have the Gems been enslaved or diseased? Did the Crystal Gems cause it? Are they trying to fix it? Are they doctors or villains? or crypt-keepers? asylum guards? Were they sent to Earth specifically to watch over these Gems in this temple, or is that a coincidence? Were they, at one point, given orders to do what they do? etc. etc. There are lots of questions here.

I'm sure some of this stuff has been gone over a lot, and maybe even answered satisfactorily on SU message boards or whatever, but I'm not hip to those. Anyway, you wanted thoughts. Here were some thoughts.

Legit points @CB. Here's how I see it with Steven. He could so easily be played as the classic "half-witted kid that screws everything up for comic relief" character, (And starting this show, that's what I feared it would be) but when this trope starts to play out, he almost always manages to deliver a positive resolution somehow. Cheeseburger Backpacks full of good examples of this. I like that they show growth in him in that way, because let's face it - he's still a really young kid. That's where the charm is for me.

But I do agree with you that my main interest in the show is the world/character building happening around Steven, especially the Crystal Gems.

You're definitely on to something regarding Lapis and the Crystal Gems. There are a lot of theories floating around out there and I've probably read them all, . For me, the two keys in that episode is Lapis saying "you're one of them!" and the bomb drop of Pearl explaining how they're always fighting gems, just that they're all corrupted and need healing of some sort, which they don't know how to do.

In my head, I'm leaning towards the Crystal Gems being some sort of special team. (and I LOVE the idea of them possibly being villainous).

And I think they were exiled or at war because:

But yeah, those questions and the hints we've found that point to answers are what really keeps me into this show big time. I absolutely love it.

Also I thought Fusion Cuisine was awesome. Lots of people hating on it (and honestly, I'd agree that the triple fusion should have been a much bigger deal), but I found it really funny and I like seeing Steven try to lead normal life type stuff while struggling with the reality that his family is mystical and he has super powers.